Riveting stays or rivets in ball bearings



YNov. 4, 1930. G. OQHODGE RIVETING STAYS OR RIVETS IN BALL BEARINGS Filed Nov. Iv; 1928 5 1 gvilyok. BY 14m.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 4, 1930 uuiren srarss rareur OFFICE GEORGE O. HODGF, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD STEEL AND BEARINGS INCORPORATED, OF PLAINVILIJE, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE RIVETING STAYS R RIVETS IN BALL BEARINGS Application filed November 17, 1928; Serial No. 320,163.

My invention relates to improvements in riveting stays or rivets in ball-bearings, pertaining to the stays or rivets that hold together ball cages, involving the use of cooperating upper and lower die structures for effecting the riveting 01 all of the stays or rivets in the set for a bearing simultaneously, and the object of my improvement is to produce die structures that are composed individually of relatively moving parts that operate to effect a gripping and holding of the parts to be operated upon immediately previously to the actual riveting, and that during such gripping also efiects a positioning 0]": the

' parts relatively one to the other for proper and eflicient operation.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of die structures embodying my invention in the position just previous to operation, and with a ball-bearing to be operated upon resting on the lower die structure.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the same after v the operation of the dies.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the lower die.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the upper die.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the two die structures on the vertical axis.

Figure 6 is a side View of one of the hammers.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary View of a rivet and the adjacent parts previous to riveting, theanvil and hammer being indicated by broken lines.

Figure 8 is a similar View of part of a double-row ball-bearing, showing the intermediate anvil.

Figure 9 shows a complete bearing.

Figure 10 shows a stay.

My improvement in riveting stays or rivets in ball-bearings involves the use of a lower die structure 10 and an upper die structure 11 for effecting the riveting of the stays or rivets I that hold together the cages for the balls 13.

Such cages are composed of mating cage members 14 that are made of sheet metal and that are shaped to provide opposed spherical shaped seats 15 for the balls 13 and intermediate thereto the opposed diminutive relative- 59 1y flat and plain platform portions 16. Said platform portions 16 are perforated for the stays 23 or the rivets 12. The bottom end of the stay 23 or rivet 12 may be staked or operated upon in any proper manner to provide a head 17 and which during the riveting operation rests upon an anvil 18 or is opposed to an anvil 21. The upper end. of the stay 23 is shouldered and a reduced stem portion 19 projects through the opening in the upper cage member 14L. Said stem 19 is operated upon by the hammer 20 for effecting the riveting.

In the case of double-row ball-bearings an auxiliary anvil 21 is introduced between opposed heads 22 of the stays 23 arranged in alignment and the two outwardly directed stems 2% are simultaneously riveted;

The die structures 10 and 11 are adapted for use in rivetingsinglerow bearings and r the changes involved for use in riveting double-row bearings besides changes in size die structure only. 7

In using the die structures 10 and 11 the ballbearmg 25 ready for the riveting is placed upon the lower die structure 10 so that the rivet-heads 17 rest individually upon the anvils 18. To efiect the proper registration of the stays with the anvils there are provided cage-seats 26 in the form of spherical depressions that fit the exteriorfaces 27 of the ball-engaging portions 15 of the cage members. That is to say, the bottom cage member 14 ofthe bearing being operated upon is seated by its spherical portions 27 on the set of cage-seats 26 and the parts are constructed W structure and the use of hammers in the upper and arranged so that when so seated the rivr Wlll be 111 registrathere is a tendency of the bearing in settling 'down on the supportingseats to rectify the bearing and improve the registrationrof the parts in case they may not'have been accurately located by the operatorlf Such rectification is also effected to some extent by the upper die member in the initial stages, as this is also provided with a set of cage-seats 26 for cooperating with exterior faces or seats 27 on the upper die structure 11.

Alternating with the cage-seats 26 in the upper die structure 11 are the hammers 20.

The lower die structure 10 is charged with the ball-bearing to be riveted; the upper die structure 11 is forciblybrought downwardly the'upper-andlower cage seats 26 cooperate to rectify the positioning of the bearing during the initial stages of suchdownward movement; said seats next grasp or grip the cage members, with the balls therebetween; and, finally, the riveting is eflected.

, :To effect this series of results involves relative movement of parts of the individual die structures 10 and 11.

Also, as will be described, such movement iseffected in opposition to spring devices.

The entire set of operations is effected by a single operation of the press.

. Considering the lower die structure 10 this consists of a base part 28 in the form of an annular plate or disc 29 that carries an upwardly projecting sleeve-like hub 30. The springs 31 rest upon the disc 29 and normally support the moving part 32 in spaced relation relatively to said disc. In the final position in riveting the bottom face 33 of the moving member or part 32 will be almost but not quite in face to face contact with the upper face 34 of the disc 29.

Sockets 35 are provided in the moving part 32 for the springs 31.

The moving part 32 slides on the hub 30 and carries on its upper side the cage-seats 26 and the anvils 18.

The upper die structure 11 is substantially the counterpart of the lower die structure 10, except, as has already been mentioned, it supports the hammers 20 in lieu ofthe anvils. Thus there is the upper disc 29 and sleeve 30 for the fixed part 36; the springs 31; the moving part 37 traveling on the sleeve or hub 30; the hammers carried by the moving part 37; and also the cage-seats 26 carried by said moving part 37.

The riveting in each of the two forms shown and described involves the formation of an enlarged head by swaging the end of a wire or reduced stem that is threaded through a fiat platform portion of the op posed or adjacent cage member. That is to say, the riveting operation is such as would be briefly described as corresponding to what would be known and designated as an ordinary riveting operation.

I claim as my invention In riveting the stays or rivets for thecage members of ball bearings, upper and lower die structures provided with mating guide means, and each of said die structures being composed of a main part and a moving part arranged for relative sliding movement in the axial direction, spring means operating to position said moving part normally generally in an advanced position relatively to said main part, said moving part being provided with a set of concave seats for receiving convex portions of a cage member, and riveting means'loosely carried by said moving parts positioned between said seats and adapted to be actuated by said main parts, whereby upon initial movement of said die structures to clamp ball bearing cage members, said riveting means will yield and thereafter be actuated by the further advance of said main parts.

GEORGE O. HODGE. 

